Australia Post is a major postal service in Australia, handling millions of letters and parcels every year. Many customers wonder whether Australia Post offers delivery on Saturdays and Sundays. With the rise of online shopping, weekend delivery is becoming increasingly important. This article looks at Australia Post’s Saturday and weekend delivery services.
What are Australia Post’s standard delivery days?
Australia Post’s standard delivery days are Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. The standard delivery timeframe for regular mail within the same state is between 2-6 business days. For regular mail sent interstate, the standard delivery time is between 3-10 business days.
Express Post delivers faster than regular mail, with next business day delivery by 3pm to most locations in Australia. To achieve next business day Express Post, items must be lodged before the cut-off time. Cut-off times vary by location, but are typically around 5pm.
Does Australia Post offer Saturday delivery?
Australia Post does offer limited delivery on Saturdays in metropolitan areas for Express Post items only. There are some important things to note about Express Post Saturday delivery:
- It is only available for Express Post parcels and satchels, not regular mail.
- Coverage is limited to metropolitan delivery zones in each state capital city. Many rural and regional areas are excluded.
- Items must be posted before the Express Post cutoff time on Friday to qualify for Saturday delivery. The cutoff is typically around 5pm.
- Delivery times on Saturday are typically between 9am and 1pm.
- Signature on delivery services are not available on Saturdays.
- Post offices and street posting boxes do not operate on Saturdays. Items must be lodged before cutoff on Friday.
So in summary, Express Post can deliver on Saturdays but only in metropolitan areas and subject to early lodgement on Friday. Regular mail does not deliver on Saturdays.
Does Australia Post deliver on Sundays or public holidays?
Australia Post does not offer delivery services on Sundays or public holidays. Post offices are also closed on these days. The only exception is that private post office franchises may open at the discretion of the licensee. However, there will still be no mail collection or delivery on Sundays and public holidays.
When did Australia Post introduce Saturday delivery?
For many years Australia Post only operated Monday-Friday deliveries. However, in November 2021 they commenced a trial of temporary Saturday Express Post deliveries in response to massive volumes leading up to Christmas.
The temporary Saturday delivery service operated for three consecutive Saturdays in November/December 2021 in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Canberra. It highlighted an increase in demand for weekend delivery services.
Following positive feedback, in October 2022 Australia Post made Express Post Saturday delivery permanent in metro areas nationwide. This shows that weekend delivery is a growth priority as parcel volumes continue to increase, especially around peak online shopping periods like Christmas.
Why does Australia Post offer Saturday delivery?
There are a few key reasons why Australia Post has started offering Express Post deliveries on Saturdays:
- Growing demand for faster delivery times and weekend delivery from online shoppers
- Rising parcel volumes, especially during peak periods like Black Friday and Christmas
- Providing an enhanced service to business customers who want to offer weekend delivery to their own customers
- Competing with other carriers like Toll and FedEx who also deliver on Saturdays
- Catering for consumers who are not home during the week to receive parcels
The rise of e-commerce has fundamentally shifted delivery demands and Australia Post is adapting its services. Weekend delivery is now seen as an expected offering for a delivery company rather than an optional extra.
Does Saturday delivery apply across all of Australia?
Australia Post’s Express Post Saturday delivery service currently only covers metropolitan areas in each state capital city. It does not extend to rural, regional or remote locations. Coverage areas are designated as “Express Post Saturday Delivery Areas”.
Within each state, the metropolitan area included in Saturday delivery is relatively limited. In NSW for example, it only includes Sydney City, Eastern Suburbs, Inner West, North Shore, Northern Beaches, Sutherland Shire, Inner Northwest, and the Hills District.
Customers can check the Australia Post website to see if their suburb or postcode falls within the Saturday delivery boundaries. Postcodes are the most accurate way to check. Overall though, Australia Post’s Saturday delivery network is focused on major metro areas and cities.
What are the cutoff times for Saturday delivery?
To receive Express Post items on a Saturday, they must be lodged before the cutoff time on Friday. Anything lodged after this will not make it onto the Saturday delivery network.
The Express Post cutoff time for Saturday delivery varies by state:
- NSW, VIC – 4.30pm
- QLD – 5pm
- SA – 5pm
- WA – 5pm
- ACT – 5pm
It’s important to check the exact cutoff time for your local area. Missing the cutoff will mean your item won’t qualify for Saturday delivery.
Can customers track Saturday deliveries?
Yes, Australia Post’s standard tracking services apply to items sent via Express Post Saturday delivery. Customers can track their item’s progress online or via the Australia Post app.
Tracking will show when your Express Post item has been received into the network, departed for delivery, and delivered on a Saturday. If you don’t have a signature on delivery service, tracking may show just “delivered” without the exact time.
How has Saturday delivery been received?
The response to Australia Post’s Express Post Saturday delivery service has been very positive. Research showed that 92% of small businesses believe it provides a major benefit for managing workflows and serving customers.
Many online retailers have expressed strong support for weekend delivery, allowing them to get orders to customers faster. For recipients, Saturday delivery provides more flexibility to receive parcels when they are actually home.
Overall the service caters nicely for the rise of e-commerce. Australia Post themselves have been pleased with the performance and are working on potential ways to expand it over time.
What does the future hold for weekend delivery?
Looking ahead, weekend delivery by Australia Post could continue to expand incrementally. Potential changes might include:
- Increasing the number of suburbs and postcodes covered
- Extending Saturday service to more regional and rural areas
- Introducing Sunday deliveries in limited areas
- Including letter mail along with parcels in weekend delivery
However, significant network upgrades would be needed to make any major expansions to weekend delivery. And Sunday in particular represents large cost without necessarily enough demand.
For now, Australia Post seems focused on improving the performance of existing Saturday offerings. But weekend delivery will likely continue to be a growth focus when parcel volumes justify further investment.
Key Takeaways:
- Australia Post delivers Express Post items on Saturdays but only in selected metro areas
- No deliveries are made on Sundays or public holidays
- To receive Saturday delivery, Express Post must be lodged before cutoff on Friday
- Tracking can be used to follow the progress of Saturday deliveries
- Demand for faster delivery times is driving increased weekend services
So in summary, Australia Post has introduced a helpful Saturday Express Post delivery offering in major cities. While coverage is still limited, this caters nicely for the rise of online shopping. As parcel volumes grow, weekend delivery may continue to expand over time. But for now, Australia Post deliveries primarily run Monday to Friday nationwide.
